Published: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 5:57 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at 5:57 p.m.

Despite a hard freeze last spring that reduced this year's apple crop by roughly 70 percent, local apple farmers are struggling to find enough pickers for the harvest.

"Surprisingly, we're still having difficulty finding adequate labor for harvesting, even though we have a real short crop," said Marvin Owings, director of the Henderson County Cooperative Extension office.

Owings said the migrant labor force that local apple growers depend on for their harvests heard through "a real good network of communication" that the area's apple crop had suffered from sub-freezing temperatures on April 13-14.

"So they went to other areas that weren't as short, such as Pennsylvania and parts of Virginia," Owings said. "It definitely concerns us because we've got to have this hand labor to get the crop harvested."

Adam Pryor, a third-generation apple farmer who is president of the Blue Ridge Apple Growing Association, said he has a picking crew that comes up from Florida every year to help him harvest.

"We normally have about 15 workers," Pryor said. "This year, I have nine. If I had a normal-sized crop, I'd be hurting."

"If you talk to the people in the agricultural business — the nursery business, the fruit business, whatever — the problem is they cannot find enough laborers, workers to do the work that needs to be done," Commissioner Charlie Messer said Tuesday during a board discussion on legislative goals.

The board voted unanimously to recommend that the N.C. Association of County Commissioners make a driver's permit for migrant workers a top legislative goal during the General Assembly's 2013 session, one of several initiatives endorsed by the county's Agricultural Advisory Committee.

Vice Chairman Bill O'Connor offered one proviso, saying the permits should clearly denote a holder's immigration status so the card could not be used to "simulate citizenship" during voting registration drives or the like.

"Clearly, we need support for our agricultural workers, but we do not need to give them shortstops to quasi-citizenship," he said.

Three of five commissioners also supported asking the state to suspend its use of E-Verify for agricultural workers. Effective Jan. 1, the state will require employers with more than 100 workers to use the Internet-based system to verify work authorizations for new hires.

The state E-Verify law is supposed to exempt temporary seasonal laborers who work fewer than 90 days within a consecutive 12-month period. But that's not how it works in practice, said Bert Lemkes, co-owner of Van Wingerden International, which operates 37 acres of commercial greenhouses in Mills River and employs 350 people, including many migrants, during its peak season.

"The problem is, once you sign up with E-Verify, which is a federal law, you have to apply that law to all employees you hire," Lemkes told the board.

A lot of rules and regulations are being handed down by state and federal regulators that the county has no control over, Messer said.

"But the bottom line is, if we cannot get workers in Henderson County that will pick our fruit and really do a lot of our ag work, then we're going to continue to have problems," he said.

Laws targeting illegal immigrants in states like Alabama are having an impact on the supply of workers here as well, Pryor said. He said his crew used to pay their way here by working tobacco and produce in Georgia, which has clamped down recently on undocumented workers.

"Now they don't do that," Pryor said. "That hurts us when you have neighboring states that have adopted laws that are more stressful on the workers."

<p>Despite a hard freeze last spring that reduced this year's apple crop by roughly 70 percent, local apple farmers are struggling to find enough pickers for the harvest. </p><p>"Surprisingly, we're still having difficulty finding adequate labor for harvesting, even though we have a real short crop," said Marvin Owings, director of the Henderson County Cooperative Extension office. </p><p>Owings said the migrant labor force that local apple growers depend on for their harvests heard through "a real good network of communication" that the area's apple crop had suffered from sub-freezing temperatures on April 13-14.</p><p>"So they went to other areas that weren't as short, such as Pennsylvania and parts of Virginia," Owings said. "It definitely concerns us because we've got to have this hand labor to get the crop harvested."</p><p>Adam Pryor, a third-generation apple farmer who is president of the Blue Ridge Apple Growing Association, said he has a picking crew that comes up from Florida every year to help him harvest.</p><p>"We normally have about 15 workers," Pryor said. "This year, I have nine. If I had a normal-sized crop, I'd be hurting."</p><p>It's a problem that transcends Henderson County's $31 million apple industry to encompass ornamentals, vegetables and other crops requiring seasonal manual labor, local officials said.</p><p>"If you talk to the people in the agricultural business — the nursery business, the fruit business, whatever — the problem is they cannot find enough laborers, workers to do the work that needs to be done," Commissioner Charlie Messer said Tuesday during a board discussion on legislative goals.</p><p>The board voted unanimously to recommend that the N.C. Association of County Commissioners make a driver's permit for migrant workers a top legislative goal during the General Assembly's 2013 session, one of several initiatives endorsed by the county's Agricultural Advisory Committee.</p><p>Vice Chairman Bill O'Connor offered one proviso, saying the permits should clearly denote a holder's immigration status so the card could not be used to "simulate citizenship" during voting registration drives or the like. </p><p>"Clearly, we need support for our agricultural workers, but we do not need to give them shortstops to quasi-citizenship," he said.</p><p>Three of five commissioners also supported asking the state to suspend its use of E-Verify for agricultural workers. Effective Jan. 1, the state will require employers with more than 100 workers to use the Internet-based system to verify work authorizations for new hires.</p><p>The state E-Verify law is supposed to exempt temporary seasonal laborers who work fewer than 90 days within a consecutive 12-month period. But that's not how it works in practice, said Bert Lemkes, co-owner of Van Wingerden International, which operates 37 acres of commercial greenhouses in Mills River and employs 350 people, including many migrants, during its peak season.</p><p>"The problem is, once you sign up with E-Verify, which is a federal law, you have to apply that law to all employees you hire," Lemkes told the board. </p><p>A lot of rules and regulations are being handed down by state and federal regulators that the county has no control over, Messer said.</p><p>"But the bottom line is, if we cannot get workers in Henderson County that will pick our fruit and really do a lot of our ag work, then we're going to continue to have problems," he said.</p><p>Laws targeting illegal immigrants in states like Alabama are having an impact on the supply of workers here as well, Pryor said. He said his crew used to pay their way here by working tobacco and produce in Georgia, which has clamped down recently on undocumented workers.</p><p>"Now they don't do that," Pryor said. "That hurts us when you have neighboring states that have adopted laws that are more stressful on the workers."</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>